Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole's population expanded in the decade leading up to the most recent census. At the same time there were changes in health, marriage and work life.

The population reached nearly 380,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole increased by 9.3%, from almost 347,000 to 379,000.

The addition of just over 32,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole was home to, on average, 17 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the South West

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole remained 41 years.

This city had a slightly lower average age than the South West and remained slightly older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of about 10,000 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 70 and 79 years decreased by just under 2,000.

About 14% of people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 9.3% to 5.5% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (81%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 67% in 2001. The percentage of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole residents that described their health as fair decreased from 24% to 14%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 8.5% in 2001 to 5.1% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole decreased by 3.8 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, the South West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

The number of people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole that described themselves as Hindu increased from just over 530 in 2001 to about 1,900 in 2011. This represents a change from 0.2% to 0.5% of the local population.

The percentage decreased at a similar rate to the average across the South West (from 0.2% to 0.3%) and the average across England (from 1.2% to 1.6%).

The number of people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole that described themselves as Christian decreased from just over 250,000 in 2001 to just under 230,000 in 2011 (from 73% to 60%). The number of people who described themselves as having no religion increased from about 58,000 to about 110,000 (from 17% to 29%).

About 29,000 people (7.9%) did not state their religion, up from just over 27,000 in 2001 (7.7%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population who identified as Hindu in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole remained close to 0.5%

Percentage of usual residents in England, South West and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

The percentage of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole at a faster rate than in nearby New Forest.

In Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, the proportion of single people increased from 29% in 2001 to 35% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in New Forest increased from 22% to 25%.

Across the South West, the share of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 27% to 31%.

The proportion of married people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole fell from 50% to 45%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 12% to 13%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was higher than across the South West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they were single across local authority areas in the South West and the average across England, March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 13% to 9.6% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just over 1 in 30 (3.6%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.2% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South West (from 13% in 2001 to 10% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole decreased by 3.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, the South West and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

↑ Back to the top

Area report data

Related links